CHAPTER TWO

      SHE SHOULD HAVE known there would be strings attached, Allison told herself the next morning as she stared across the polished mahogany desk at Jonas Litwhiler, her grandmother’s attorney. She knew perfectly well that no one gave you something for nothing. So why was she feeling oddly hurt at this reinforcement of her preconceptions about her grandmother?

      Litwhiler, perhaps made uncomfortable by her silence, cleared his throat. “You understand, Ms....er...Ms. Standish? The bequest from Mrs. Standish is conditional on certain requirements being fulfilled.”

      “I understand.” She leaned back, trying to demonstrate an unconcern she didn’t feel. “I’m waiting to hear what those requirements are.”

      “Yes, I see.” Litwhiler fiddled with the delicate china cup and saucer that sat on a small, doily-covered tray at the side of his desk. Coffee, by the smell of it. As if reminded, he gestured toward the cup. “Would you care for coffee? It won’t take a moment.”

      “No. Thank you.” Let’s just get on with it.

      Jonas Litwhiler was the image of an old-fashioned small-town attorney—white hair, white shirt, conservative tie, dark suit. The only surprise to his appearance was the white carnation in his lapel. Even his offices were a masterpiece of dark paneling and Oriental carpets, located in another of the Victorian houses in which Laurel Ridge seemed to specialize. He looked as if he’d strayed into the contemporary scene from a 1930s black-and-white movie.

      “According to the trust set up by Mrs. Standish, the ownership of Blackburn House passes to you completely if you run it successfully on your own for a period of one year.”

      So many questions crowded Allison’s mind that she didn’t know which one to spit out first. “Can I sell it?”

      An expression of profound disapproval settled on the attorney’s face. “Not until you’ve completed the year satisfactorily.”

      It was all very well for him to be disapproving. He hadn’t had his entire life turned upside down in the past twenty-four hours. “And who decides if I’ve been successful? You, I suppose?” If he was acting for the other heirs as well, that struck her as a conflict of interest.

      “No.” The answer was short, and he looked as if he’d just sucked on something sour. “If Mrs. Standish’s accountants declare that Blackburn House has been run at a profit for one year, the matter has been decided.”

      She suspected his reaction meant that he’d been offended to have that decision taken out of his hands. Still, it seemed to indicate that Evelyn Standish had tried to be fair, according to her definition of fairness.

      “And if I fail or choose not to accept the challenge?”

      “Ownership passes to Brenda Standish Conner, your father’s cousin,” he said promptly.

      She nodded, vaguely aware he’d mentioned the cousin in their telephone conversation. Apparently she and her daughter had lived with Mrs. Standish. They’d probably expected to scoop the lot. Well, they might still do so.

      “Didn’t it occur to Mrs. Standish that I’d have a career and a life elsewhere?” Even as she asked the question, Allison realized it wasn’t true in the sense that it had been the previous day, though she did still have an apartment and friends in Philadelphia. And nothing could reconcile her to uprooting her life to a place like Laurel Ridge.

      “I don’t believe Mrs. Standish was concerned about your career. In any event, I don’t feel comfortable discussing Mrs. Standish’s reasons for her actions.”

      Something about his acid tone suggested to Allison that her grandmother hadn’t seen fit to ask his advice.

      Allison took a steadying breath, trying to compose her thoughts. She’d come into this meeting unprepared, it seemed to her. She eyed the attorney, wondering how much of the truth he’d care to share.

      “Is it actually legal to attach such conditions to a bequest?”

      His grip tightened on the pen he held, and he put it down precisely on the desk blotter. “You can contest the will if you like, of course. It will be expensive, and in my opinion, you will lose.”

      Allison wasn’t sure she’d like to take his word for that. Maybe she should consult another attorney. But it would take time, and meanwhile she’d be stuck in Laurel Ridge. Maybe she’d been right in her first assessment, and this was just a final insult on the part of the grandmother who’d ignored her existence. Evelyn Standish didn’t fit anyone’s idea of the doting grandmother.

      “Didn’t you say there was a partnership in a quilt shop in the bequest?” That was the shop she’d seen briefly the previous night, before her run-in with Nick Whiting.

      “That comes under the same one-year provision, except that in the case of the quilt shop, ownership will pass to Sarah Bitler, the current owner.”

      It had begun to sound as if there were a lot of people who’d be happy to see her leave town.

      Litwhiler riffled through a sheaf of papers. “I think that about covers it. You’ll find the business accounts in Mrs. Standish’s office in Blackburn House. Funds for operating expenses and any necessary repairs are provided.” He hesitated. “You’ll also find that an apartment adjoins the office. A separate account has been set up for any renovations you’d care to do. Mrs. Standish thought you might want to live there, should you decide to stay.”

      If there was a question in that comment, Allison ignored it. She wouldn’t commit herself to anything until she’d had a chance to consider the options.

      As for the apartment— She thought again of her apartment in Philadelphia, of the time and care she’d put into making it the perfect home. “Could I rent this apartment?” she asked abruptly. “Or is it tied up with conditions, as well?”

      “No, no conditions.” He looked surprised, as if that hadn’t occurred to him. “If you stay, you can do as you like with it.”

      “I’ll give it some thought.” She slipped the strap of her bag onto her shoulder and slid to the edge of her chair.

      “You...you don’t want to give me an answer now?” He seemed disconcerted, as if this interview hadn’t gone as he expected.

      “Not without considering all my options.” She rose, looking down at him across the massive stretch of mahogany.

      Litwhiler stood abruptly. “There’s another option I’ve been asked to put before you.” He seemed to be picking his words carefully, wearing a faint expression of distaste.

      “Yes?” She raised her eyebrows, feeling as if the balance of power had shifted slightly in her favor.

      “Brenda...Mrs. Standish Conner, I mean, feels perhaps...” He let that die out, as if it hadn’t been the right approach. “Mrs. Standish Conner asked me to say that in the event you did not care to accept the terms of the bequest, she would be willing to make the sum of over one hundred thousand dollars to you.”

      Allison fought to keep her face expressionless, while her mind raced. One hundred thousand. She could do a lot with that amount. On the other hand, she’d guess that was a fraction of the actual value of the building. Even in a town the size